·      Philippians 4:4 – Rejoice in the Lord always.  I will say it again, Rejoice! 
·      Why should I choose joy? 
·      Choose joy because God gives you hope.
·      Do people today think they can manipulate God? 
·      They realized they had blown their relationship with God. 
·      Do you ever think “I’ve blown my relationship with God?” 
·      Isaiah 35:1-2 – 1The wilderness and the desert rejoice; the steppe rejoices and the saffron blooms. 2She blooms and rejoices; Yea, joy and cries of joy. The glory of Lebanon
is given to her, the splendor of Carmel and Sharon. Behold they see the glory of the LORD, the splendor of our God.
·      God does not give up on you. 
·      3All of you make strong discouraged hands and make firm knees that stumble. 
·      Romans 8:28 – For we know that God is working good in all things for those who love him and are called according to his purpose.
·      Heavenly Father, open my eyes.  Help me see where you are at work.
·      4Say to the hurried heart, “All of you, be strong and do not fear. Behold your God; vengeance comes.  God brings ‘the getting even;’ and he saves you all.
·      5Then the eyes of the blind will be open; and the ears of the deaf will be open. 6Then the lame ram will leap and the
speechless tongue will cry out. For water will burst
forth in the wilderness, and torrents on the desert plains.
7The parched ground will be a pool; the thirsty ground as a pool of water. In the jackal habitat, a resting place, a home for reeds and rushes.
·      We are the Easter People!
·      God is the God of the unexpected. 
·      8And there will be a highway and a way, the way of the Holy, those called to it.  The unclean will not pass over it.
He is to them walker of the way and the foolish will not wander on it. 9There will be no lions there and no hungry
beasts will come upon it; They will not be found there, but the redeemed ones will walk.
·      Psalm 14:1 – The fool has said in his heart, “There is no god…” 
·      10And the ransomed ones of the LORD return; And they come to Zion with ringing cries.
·      And eternal joy is upon their heads.
Exuberance and joy they attain.
And they escape grief and groaning.
·      Revelation 21:2-4 - And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven, like a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice
from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling of God is with me.  He will dwell with them and they shall be his
people and God himself will be with them; he will wipe away every tear from their eyes and death will be no more, neither shall there be mourning nor crying nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.  
·      Do you need some hope today? Our Heavenly Father has all you need. 
 
LIFE GROUP DISCUSSION QUESTIONS 
Starter:  Think about a time when you desperately needed hope.  How did you find it? 
Discussion:
1.      Read Isaiah 35:1-2
2.      Imagine you are in exile in a foreign country.  What
emotion would you feel as you hear these words?
3.      Throughout this passage, God is making dead space alive. For example, the desert gushes water and it rejoices.  What are modern dead spaces?  How does God make them alive.
4.      Read Isaiah 35:3-7
5.      The prophet brings a message of hope to the exiles. 
How can Jesus followers today bring a message of hope?
6.      What is your reaction to God claiming vengeance as his business?  How does that make you feel?
7.      Read Isaiah 35:8-9 and Matthew 7:13-14.
8.      In your opinion, what are the parallels between these two passages?
9.      Read Isaiah 35:10 and Revelation 21:2-4
10.  What do you think will be your reaction to when you enter heaven?  How does this help you live with hope?

Ver todos los episodios